Tuesday, 7 April 2015

It was an
early Sunday morning. Birds
started chirping after night sleep. Health
conscious ladies and gents started their
early morning walk ( Hoping to reduce their weight?) before the traffic starts.
College boys, three in one motor cycle ( without even washing their faces )
preparing for the Sunday cricket match in the Chennai city’s un-constructed
lands. A fat man with a bat on his back also crossed me. The sun was slowly raising above the Velachery
railway bridge partially hiding his face in the clouds. I could not see any birds in the Pallikaranai
marsh land. The traffic yet to begin. Through Tambaram bridge reached the
Mannivakkam Shiva temple. Sivachariyar was preparing for the Pooja, since the
temple was closed previous day evening due to Lunar eclipse. Went around the
temple noting the details.

MANNIVAKKAM

Iraivan : Sri Manneeswarar

Iraivi : Sri Maragathambigai

Some of the important features of this temple are.

The temple is facing east with an entrance arch

Dwajasthambam, Palipedam and Nandhi mandapam are in
the outer prakaram. Nandhi is facing east like Shiva. It was understood from the
Sivachariyar that Nandhiamperuman participated in the war as per the request of
kulothunga Chozhan.

In the outer prakaram Sannadhi for Vinayagar,
Sandikeswarar, Navagrahas, and Bairavar.

Ambal is in a separate sannadhi in standing posture
facing south.

From Outer prakaram to sanctum mandapam entrance Dwara Ganapathy on the left and Dwara
Subramaniyaron the right.

The shrine is with sanctum, and a mandapam. In
Mandapam, Ganapathy, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniyar.

In Koshtam Vinayagar, Dhakshinamoorthy, Vishnu, Brahma
and Durgai.

In sanctum moolavar is little tall and Chandran and Suryan
on the kavasam.

As per Sivachariyar the temple is more than 1200 years
old. There is no old epigraph available, but there are recent epigraphs of 18th
and 19th century at the base of the sanctum.

HOW TO REACH :

Town bus is available from Thambaram and 1 KM from
main road.

The buses to Kanchipuram via Valajah and Padapai Pases
through Mannivakkam.

CONTACT
DETAILS :

Sivacharaiyar Phone number is 9710422954 or 9176184262.

TEMPLE TIMINGS :

The temple is kept open for dharshan between 07.00 Hrs
to 10.30 Hrs and 17.30 Hrs to 19.00 Hrs.

After dharshan joined the traffic on the main road to
Padapai and after 2 KM took a diversion on
Thiruvallur Road to reach Manimangalam. Even though I had been to these two temples
after a long gap I am making this Tour. There is a lot of improvement in the
temple. The temple was taken over by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). A
permanent meikavalar has been posted by ASI. Fence has been erected with gate and an ASI
warning board. Kanchipuram area Sri
Puttaparthi Saibaba Devotees were doing
uzhavarapani when I visited to this temple.
A bus load of Lady devotees also
visited this temple.

MANIMANGALAM

Iraivan : Sri Dharmeswara Swamy

Iraivi : Sri
Vedhambika Devi.

Some of the important features of this temple are ...

Chozhas, Pandyas and Vijayanagars had contributed for
the construction of this temple. The main shrine was constructed by Chozhas
with Gajaprista vimanam and front mandapam was built by Vijayanagaras and Ambal
Sannadhi was built by Pandyas.

During Chozha Period this place was called as Chathur
Vedha mangalam, where 4 vedhams were taught.

There is no Rajagopuram, Dwajasthambam, Palipedam and nandhi originally. The nandhi and
Palipedam are erected in the outer at a very latter state in front of Ambal temple.

Ambal is in a separate sannadhi without Gopuram. Looks
with a childish face. It is believed that ambal is very powerful.As per Gurukkal a girl has got her speech
after worshipingAmbal of this temple.

The temple is facing east with sanctum and
mandapamand constructed like a mada
koil.At the entrance Ganapathy and
Subramaniyar are facing each other.

In the outer prakaram sannadhi or Vinayagar, Bairavar
and Saneeswarar.

After dharshan
thought of Visiting the Sri Lakshmi Kuberar temple on the Vandalur to
Kelambakkam Road. The temple is in Rathna mangalam. There is no proper sign
board from the Main road. After a great difficulty found out the road leading
to Rathna mangalam after Kolappakkam and Tagore Engineering College. The temple is about 2 KM off main road. The
road is very very bad. The Devotees are high end in large numbers came big
cars with Political colour flags. Hope Kumberan is doing favour to them
only, that is why they are growing exponentially.

SRI LAKSHMI
KUBERAR TEMPLE

In Sanctum : Sri Mahalakshmi in first level, Sri
Kuberar & his concert Chitraleka in second level.

Some of the important features of this temple are..

The temple is facing north since Kuberar belongs to north, one of the ‘ashta thigu
balakar’. This is recent period temple with out Rajagopuram.

On the opposite to sanctum in madapam ( entrance top )
wall Ashta Lakshmi’s sudhai sirpangal.

The history of Kuberar paintings were hung around the
mandapam walls.

Keeri pillai ( Mangustan ) is on the palipedam. – The reason is not known to anybody.

The temple is being maintained by Sri Rajalakshmi
Kubera Trust a private body.

The brief History of Kuberar is as follows. Kuberar is
the son of Vichvaras Muni & Braratwaj’s daughter Swadevi. His grand father
is Pulathiyar and great grand father is Brahma. His cousin brothers are
Ravanan, Kumbkarnan, Vibishnan ( whose mother was a demon by the name Kaykasi )

He had done a severe penance with water and air for
some years and with air for many years. Appreciating his penance Brahma appeared
and granted him as one of the ashta thig balakar ( அஷ்ட திக்கு பாலகர் ) for north with wealth to
distribute. His name then become as Kuberar from Vaisravaranan. He lent wealth to
Lord Balaji and Padmavathy thayar’s marriage. It was told that Sri Balaji is
paying only the interest till date and not the barrowed wealth.

Kuberar is an ardent devote of Lord Shiva and went Kailash to get blessings of Lord
Shiva. There he happened to see Parvathy. Parvathy got angry and cursed him to
loose his eyes. Kuberar appealed to Shiva
and Parvathy and told that he had not seen Parvathy in bad intention. Parvathy
pardoned him and granted him to grow back his eyes, of which one will be of smaller.

It was also learnt that the temple has become very
popular since Mahalakshmi and Kuberar are installed on a jeeva Samadhi of a
siddar. When I inquired there, it was known to anybody.

HOW TO REACH :

The Place is called as Rathna Mangalam

On Vandalur to Kelambakkam Road after Tagore
engineering college turn left. The temple is about 2 KM from main road.

After dharshan of Sri Lakshmi Kuberar, had the Dharshan of Sri Shridi Saibaba, Sri
Chakra Kaliamman and Sri Araikasu Amman Temples. In Araikasu amman Temple I could
see 108 Amman’s moorthams are installed. They are replica of the Amman
moorthams of famous temples in India and abroad.

It was too late than my expected time for returning
home and my wife gave me a call for the breakfast. Returned to home around
11.30 Hrs through Ponmar and Medavakkam.
This Heritage visit was made
through my Yamaha scooter which gave me
a pleasant riding with 80 Km per liter of petrol.